Producing consumer electronics and in particular computers that might incorporate, in addition to operating systems with various configurations and suites of applications, several subsystems, each in turn with their own software drivers, can be complicated. Not only must a bill of materials (BOM) be defined, managed, and conformed to, but product defects and corrective actions must also be managed in way that ensures corrective action can be known and taken across the globe.
Because of the complexity inherent in the above considerations, it can happen that more than a single management system might develop over time, complicating efforts to integrate knowledge and data. As recognized herein, it is desirable to have a management system that can integrate the knowledge and input of designers, engineers, software integrators, etc. in ways that reduce engineering lead times and provide ease of tracking defects and cures to the defects in a single, globally shared system within an enterprise, while providing an easy way to manage regional differentiation of software offerings, sharing information between business groups within the enterprise, and eliminating duplicative data maintenance.
For example, many computers are sold on a configure to order/build to order (CTO/BTO) basis. Each software part can have a multidimensional relationship with each stock keeping unit (SKU) that represents a product when region, language, various operating system versions, and platforms are factored in. Thus, each software part can potentially have dozens of version releases to accommodate all of these variables. As but one example of the complexity of providing CTO/BTO computers, one version of a “click to DVD” software may be used only on French Windows MCE SR series SKUs that are sold only in Quebec, but another version may be designed to work on any model using Windows XP Home Edition Spanish Version regardless of region.
As another example of complexity, consider that there are currently about ten Sony VAIO platforms worldwide, and each platform may contain multiple VAIO models with variations on CPU, RAM, HDD capacity, wireless (WLAN, WWAN, and Bluetooth), graphics chipset, etc. Several major regions that include an even greater number of languages in many different countries, along with plural operating system variations, may require support. Still further, each model of VAIO for each region/language/country/OS variation contains well over one hundred pieces of software, each of which may be a unique version for only that model, or may be used for multiple models of VAIO, giving an idea of the exponential scope of the relationship between software and computer models the database must be designed to support. In summary, the relationships between software parts and the platforms they are used on have become extremely complex, and with this critical recognition in mind, the invention herein is provided.
In addition, the present invention critically recognizes that the quality of the final product is important. As understood herein, each piece of software may contain defects, or when combined in an image with other software may cause defects to be generated.